Meanderings of a Mom, Kidney patient, woman.

Archive for September, 2011

Did you know that September is Pediatric Cancer Awareness month? Probably not, since the paper isn’t turned gold. There are no highly advertized walks or commercials unless you happen to see the Hyundai Hope on Wheels commercial. And I wonder why? I personally have fairly healthy kids. But I have friends who have lost there children to cancer. I have friends watching there child die as we speak. I have friends whose children have beaten the odds. Do you know 7 children will die today from cancer. 7 and 46 will be diagnosed. That is just in the US. Last December, I shaved my head to help bring awareness to childhood cancer. It got some odd stares. Few people asked me about it. But at night, when I think about JJ, Evan, Kate, Gabby, Seth….. I wonder if it is enough. What can I do to help these little ones. What can I do to support the families? And I am left speechless. I can donate money. Lord, knows I talk about it. But what else can I do.

JJ’s mom, is going to be one of the 46 momma’s that shaves her head this year in Washington, D.C. … well she already shaved her head as she was unable to join them in D.C. this year. However, all 46 of those momma’s, has or had a child afflicted with cancer. If they are anything like Di, then they are an amazing group of women. But did you even know they were doing this? Has the media followed them around like they do so many of the movie stars? Not hardly.

I sit here trying to put words down about September. My hair has grown back in. You would never known I shaved it unless you saw me last December. My life is pretty average. But I hug my kids every night a bit harder, knowing that I don’t have those shoes to walk in. I suggest you do too.

For the longest time now, I have wanted a statue of Mary for my rose garden. It just seemed to be asking for her. I thought about it every time I was tending to my roses. I know.. Roses and Mary how cliche… But whatever. I love roses, and I love and admire Mary. So why not. Well I was up at my grandparents house a few weeks back. And my grandmother asks me if I would like a statue of Mary out of the blue. (I had never told anyone I wanted the statue. I had this feeling she would just arrive.) And it looked just like the one I have been wanting. I was totally on cloud nine. Then my grandmother told me it used to be in Father George’s flower beds. And I was humbled. I had never seen his statue before. And there is a back story. Fr. George was like a family priest. He was family although not via blood. He was the happiest guy, always had an earnest smile on his face, and adored my grandparents. He baptized both of my girls. In fact, Martha was his first baptism he had ever done. Well he recently passed away after a bout with cancer.

He has always kept a special place in my heart. And to this day, I ask him to look down from heaven and help me with my problems and obstacles. And now I have his statue. I am so proud that she sits in my garden. Even though the rose beds have lots of work that still needs done to them, they seem happier. Yes, my roses seem happy. You see they have suddenly started blooming again. And they have been some of the prettiest rose blooms I have seen in a while. I even have some new rose sprouts starting from an older rose I was thinking about digging up and replacing.

Thank you Father George for always giving me the proper words I needed to hear. Thank you for giving me the courage and support I needed. I miss you dearly; however, when I step outside, take the kids to school, or drive up after doing errands, she is there to remind me of you. The roses thank you as well. She will be taken care of and will have a home here for a very long time.